Why Delegate: Successful Focus and Productivity Begin with Delegating

Delegation is a powerful skill to master and a useful tool to possess. Effective management and growth as an entrepreneur rely on the ability to delegate and do so effectively.

Delegation is the process of learning to trust others to assist you in the completion of tasks and projects. In some cases, you are training people to do tasks that you no longer wish to complete, and in other cases, you trust someone to complete a project that is beyond your scope of expertise. Either way, when delegated successfully the results are the same; increased productivity, enhanced quality, and improved focus.

Increased Productivity

The most obvious result of delegating or outsourcing is that there are now more people working on the same list of deliverables, thus improving turnaround time and productivity. However, if you are selective about whom you delegate to, you will choose tasks and projects that fit the individual’s expertise, skill sets, and interests. It’s simple human nature that we produce better results, in less time when we work on tasks that we enjoy and are familiar with.

Enhanced Quality

In addition to improving quality by delegating to one who has skilled personal focus on tasks they enjoy and know how to complete, you can now oversee and provide quality control. Let’s be clear, I’m not suggesting micro-management, I’m suggesting the theory that two heads are always better than one. Therefore, when delegating, you should see it as an opportunity to improve upon what you could have done alone. If you treat delegation and outsourcing as collaboration, you will not only enhance the quality of output, but also improve the relationship and trust with those you are working with.

Improved Focus

As an entrepreneur or manager, it’s your job to continuously seek growth and expansion. This can be nearly impossible when you are too heavily involved in the actual completion of operations. I’m not suggesting that you become an uninvolved manager; however, once the processes are created and running smoothly I suggest you delegate. If you are weighed down by daily, weekly, or even monthly operational and administrative tasks, you will not have enough time, nor energy to devote to the vision needed to grow your company. Plus, as the visionary you will be more satisfied, productive, and creative when allowed to focus on your passion.

The process of delegation can be a complicated equation and may even require some trial and error. Learning to delegate, deciding what to delegate, when to delegate, how to delegate, and who to delegate to are all consideration that should be taken very seriously.

Do you have any comments, tips, or experiences to share about delegation and/or outsourcing?